Chocolate, Cognac and Prune Macarons
Chocolate macaron shells filled with a milk-chocolate, prune and Armagnac ganache.
Ingredients
| 100 g | Powdered sugar (for shells) | |
| 50 g | Finely ground almonds or almond flour | |
| 25 g | Cocoa | |
| 2 | Egg whites | |
| 65 g | Granulated sugar | |
| 50 g | Milk chocolate (need not be Lindt) | |
| 90 g | Dried prunes | |
| 1-2 tbsp | 15–30 ml | Armagnac or other cognac (brandy), optional |
Instructions
Note on the shells: As a rule, the baking time for the chocolate shells is a little longer than the baking time for standard shells.
Chocolate filling with prunes and cognac:
- Cut the prunes into quarters, place them in a bowl and pour over hot water, just enough to cover them. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave until the dried prunes soften – about ten minutes. Then drain them, pressing well with a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Place them in a blender or food processor and grind. The resulting paste is a bit like marmalade, so I think this too can be used to save a step in preparing the filling.
- Melt the chocolate together with the Armagnac over a water bath, stirring until you get a smooth mixture. Pour it into the prune purée and stir well.
- Leave the filling to cool and thicken. You can also put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes for faster thickening.
The cream should be thick enough that, if the macaron is laid on its side, it does not run out.